To encourage Filipino audiences to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of world cinema, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) brings internationally acclaimed films to its online streaming platform JuanFlix: The FDCP Channel this July 28, 2023.
JuanFlix’s World Cinema lineup features the celebrated works of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jacques Demy, Agnès Varda, and François Truffaut, whose provocative and experimental films influenced new cinematic movements and made a lasting legacy on European cinema and beyond.
Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours trilogy encompasses the human experience by exploring themes of love, loss, and liberation. The trilogy won top awards at prestigious international film festivals in Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, while “Three Colours: Red” received three Oscar nominations in 1994, including the Best Director award for Kieślowski.
French filmmaker Jacques Demy’s musical films “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and “The Young Girls of Rochefort” portray his female characters’ quest for love and fortune, with the former receiving the Palme d’Or award at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, “Donkey Skin” is a whimsical adaptation of a French fairy tale, depicting a young princess’ escape from her father’s kingdom to fend off an unwanted marriage proposal.
“Cléo from 5 to 7” by French filmmaker Agnès Varda uses a woman’s point-of-view in navigating the streets of Paris and coming to terms with one’s mortality, mixing aspects of documentary and fiction and featuring cameos from French New Wave icons Anna Karina and Jean-Luc Godard.
Lastly, François Truffaut’s directorial debut film “The 400 Blows” captures Truffaut’s own childhood by depicting an adolescent boy’s experience with petty crime and authority figures.
Demy, Varda, and Truffaut are pioneers of the New Wave, a cinematic movement that emerged in France during the late 1950s. New Wave filmmakers favored personal expression and experimental storytelling over the commercial demands of mainstream filmmaking, which inspired other filmmakers from around the world.
These films are now available for streaming on JuanFlix via subscription, which costs PHP 99.00/month and PHP 499.00/year. To register, visit www.juanflix.com.ph.